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In Memory

In memory of our friend and colleague Amy Branch

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Female fans normally know more facts about what’s going on than men do anyway. I’d say they’re a more intelligent fan on top of that. They normally know more about what we’ve done than we know about what we’ve done. --- Tony Stewart

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There are female fans who take apart engines and will take you apart if you have a problem with that; who are drawn to the danger and mystery of the sport; who watch races on TV to witness pure passion and unscripted emotion; who love the camaraderie of these family-friendly festivals; who feel the nervous anxiety of the lip-biting wives atop the pit boxes. --- Andrew Giangola “The Weekend Starts on Wednesday”

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Buck Baker, the first back-to-back winner in NASCAR’s Grand National division (now the Sprint Cup Series), will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on February 8, 2013. Learn more about this racing pioneer in this edition of Fast Facts.

Elzie Wylie Baker Sr. was born March 4, 1919 in Richburg, South Carolina. Before his racing career took off, Baker worked as a bus driver. His racing career began in 1939 in Greenville, South Carolina; he entered his first NASCAR race 10 years later in 1949 at Charlotte Speedway.

Baker won his first NASCAR race in 1952, the same year he captured the NASCAR Speedway Division title. Four years later in 1956, he captured the first of two-straight Grand National titles; he also finished in the top five in points six other times. Baker ranks 14th on the all-time wins list with 46 victories, including three wins in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway (1953, 1960 and 1964). He also won 45 poles and won races in NASCAR’s Modified, Speedway and Grand American Divisions.

Baker retired from NASCAR competition following the 1976 National 500 (now the fall race at Charlotte Motor Speedway) and opened the Buck Baker Racing School, which currently runs at four tracks. Baker’s son Buddy also competed in NASCAR’s top level, winning 19 times over his 33-season career.

Baker passed away on April 14, 2002 at age 83. Prior to his death, he was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame in 1982, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1998. He was also named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.